Details

CPU Clock Rate

3.5GHz

GPU Core Clock Rate

1.02GHz

GPU Effective Memory Clock Rate

6.01GHz

Description

Inspired by Portal... Wheatley was MY test subject, as I put him through countless trials, on this, my first build. Six months of R&D, six days of part procurement, and six hours of building, brought this demon baby of a machine to life. WEI rates it a 7.7 since I opted to hold off on overclocking my CPU and Memory (after all, cant have Wheatley finding out he's perfect).

Decided to go with the GTX 660 Ti since it came with a free copy of Borderlands 2 steam code, pretty much giving me a $60 discount, since I was going to buy it anyway.

Next update will be to install a Ceton InfiniTV ($199 from Newegg) to add HD DVR capabilities for whole home streaming via WMC and Xbox Extenders.

The build could not have gone any smoother, not one hiccup. My only concern is that one day Wheatley becomes self aware and turns the tables on the whole Tester / Test Subject dynamic.... but what are the odds of that?

there would be nearly no noticeable performance difference between 1600 and 1866 especially on a ivy bridge build. That being said 1600Mhz would have been nearly the same price as what is on the list, usually cheaper.

i was thinking of doubling up on a GTX 660Ti if i needed any more juice outta my GPU when prices deflate a little more. The most i put Wheatley through is a wee bit HEAVY gaming, and some photo editing.

Depends what he planes to do =p,however the 660ti uses the same gk104 chip as the 670 and 680 so the performance difference is very small [the highest i have seen is about 7-10 fps]. The 3770k might be worth that 100$ in is budget it if he's doing any multi-threaded applications.

I'm using the same case as you for my build and I'm wondering if getting an Asus GTX570 is a good idea. I've heard that because of its size it sags in the case. Also, would liquid cooling be a good idea or does a standard CPU cooler do the job? I'd like my machine to run quietly. My build is strictly for high end gaming. Thanks :)

I ended up buying a CM Hyper 212 EVO Sleeve Bearing. its rate at 9 - 36 dBa but i cant hear it run. Even while i am gaming i can barely hear my 4 fans going. I dont know too much about the GTX570 but go here: http://pcpartpicker.com/builds/#g=7

this is all of the PCpartpicker users build with the GTX570. .you should be able to see how their GPU's sit on their motherboards.

I feel like an idiot but, i've never done this before. i saw that this didnt have a wireless network connector. do you need one of those to connect to wifi? and if you do, I'm getting google fiber soon so I'd like to have one that supports at least 800 mbps. Thanks to anyone who is willing to help.

Yes, you'd need to add either a USB or PCIe wifi adapter, unless you specifically buy one of the few motherboards with it built in.

To handle that kind of speed though, your ideal option would be gigabit ethernet, as that will deliver ideal speeds at a reasonable price.

If you must go wireless, the fastest solution is going to be 802.11ac wireless, but the cost of a wireless router supporting it, and a proper PCIe card capable of delivering that speed is going to be ~$250.

its an amazing board. i especially like that it is WiFi ready and has a really sleek bios. haven't overclocked yet, but this board is supposed make it a pretty easy process. just a really well rounded mobo

I love this build. I actually have the same exact RAM in my current rig. Which sucks, compared to this. I would have probably opted for 1600 or 1866 RAM, but as Kevdo said, you could simply overclock it. I would have gone for a CPU a little bit cheaper, maybe an i5 or something. You can't beat the prices for that hard drive, although there is a Seagate Barracuda for around $70. That SSD was a nice choice although it seems to me OCZ SSDs cost a lot more than others. 3TB of storage can't be beat for gaming. I would have gone for probably a 670 or a 680. Maybe even a 690. Great choice of your case, although I always love the Corsair Obsidian Series 800D. Although an 800D would be overkill for this build. For a PSU I would have gone for a SeaSonic, but a Corsair is great anyway. I don't know what you are using that rig for, so I can't say anything about your DVD drive. I would have gone for a BenQ XL2420T. It's 120Hz and costs $30 more. Your keyboard and mouse choices are great, and I don't know much about tuners, so I can't judge you on that one.

First, Wheatley would be awe inspired by how you made him.
Second, your case, video card, memory and SSD. How do you like the case? Is it quite enough space for it's purpose? Why did you pick the 660 Ti, as in how is it doing for you? (because I was making one with a 660 2GB and was wondering how you chose between the 2). How is the crucial ballistex working for you compared to, lets say, a corsair brand memory? Compared to Samsung how much would you say your OCZ SSD is for performance?
Great build for just over 2K

One suggestion would be to move the 8 cpu cable. There is a cutout right above it so that you can route the cable behind the motherboard. You should never have to route a cable across the motherboard, especially with this case.

agreed. i just wanted to draw the eye away from the unsightly non white cables at the bottom. just my attempt at jedi-ing your brain away from the inconsistencies. "these arent the cables your looking for!"